Sound design is a broad medium comprising various factors that all play into the process of creating a cohesive sound. That said, there are several non-negotiable elements of great sound design:
- 1. Ambiance: Ambiance refers to an environment’s overall atmosphere. Background noises like a slight breeze or falling leaves provide information without overloading the audio. It’s often the most subtle sound element that sets a scene.
- 2. Dialogue: The actors’ words are one of the things that make a movie a movie. Sound designers record dialogue during principal photography with boom mics or lapel microphones (placed on the actors), or using automated dialogue replacement (ADR) in the postproduction stage.
- 3. Sound effects: Footsteps echoing on pavement, paper tearing, rockets launching, basketballs dribbling on a court—all of these are audio effects. Often serving as another layer of ambiance, audio effects can range from sounds we hear daily to UFOs blasting into space.
- 4. Foley sounds: Foley sound effects are recorded during postproduction on a soundstage. Foley artists watch the film’s footage and use various materials to recreate specific sounds (the sound of an actor’s hand brushing against a jacket, for example).
- 5. Voiceover: Written in the script as “VO,” a voiceover is the narration from a character you hear offscreen—usually a commentary of the scene or story. Morgan Freeman, the most recognized narrator in history, famously pre-records his lines in a studio. The sound designer usually leads the recording of the voiceover, which is added to the scene during the editing process. “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “March of the Penguins” are examples of heavily narrated films.
- 6. Music: This is where the composer and sound designer collaborate. Of course, music is also a sound; it’s a significant part of filmmaking. The composer’s score and sound designer’s massive audio compilation (ambiance, dialogue, foley sounds, and everything that makes up the film’s sound design) are pieced together to produce a harmonious track.